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Episode 590 – An Interview with Dr. Mike Freiling
This week on the podcast, something completely different! I’m getting some help talking about poetry from Mike Freiling, whose new translation of Hyakunin Isshu, entitled One Hundred Poems of Old Japan, will be out just a little over a week from now. We’ll talk tanka vs. haiku, how translation works, and share a few favorites from one of Japan’s most classic poetic compilations.
Sources
Freiling, Mike. One Hundred Poems of Old Japan: A New Translation of Hyakunin Isshu
The fine folks at Tuttle Publishing have made available recordings of all the poems both in translation and the original here!
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9960" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062-213x300.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062-213x300.jpg 213w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px" />Edo period illustration of poem 62 from Hyakunin Isshu (by Sei Shonagon). Artist unknown.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9961" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035-214x300.jpg 214w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035.jpg 325w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />Edo period illustration of poem 35 from Hyakunin Isshu (by Ki no Tsurayuki). Artist unknown.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9962" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010-216x300.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010-216x300.jpg 216w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010.jpg 325w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" />Poem 10, by Semimaru.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9963" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080-216x300.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080-216x300.jpg 216w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080.jpg 326w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" />Poem 80, by Lady Horikawa.
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By This week on the podcast, something completely different! I’m getting some help talking about poetry from Mike Freiling, whose new translation of Hyakunin Isshu, entitled One Hundred Poems of Old Japan, will be out just a little over a week from now. We’ll talk tanka vs. haiku, how translation works, and share a few favorites from one of Japan’s most classic poetic compilations.
Sources
Freiling, Mike. One Hundred Poems of Old Japan: A New Translation of Hyakunin Isshu
The fine folks at Tuttle Publishing have made available recordings of all the poems both in translation and the original here!
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9960" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062-213x300.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062-213x300.jpg 213w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_062.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px" />Edo period illustration of poem 62 from Hyakunin Isshu (by Sei Shonagon). Artist unknown.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9961" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035-214x300.jpg 214w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_035.jpg 325w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />Edo period illustration of poem 35 from Hyakunin Isshu (by Ki no Tsurayuki). Artist unknown.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9962" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010-216x300.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010-216x300.jpg 216w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_010.jpg 325w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" />Poem 10, by Semimaru.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9963" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080-216x300.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080-216x300.jpg 216w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hyakuninisshu_080.jpg 326w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" />Poem 80, by Lady Horikawa.